Ruined: Carly's Story
by Caliwali6
Summary: Life always seems to hit us hard, some more then others. For Carly, life reduced her to rubble and she managed to build herself back up. When life decides to give her a second obstacle will she be able to build herself up? Will she stay strong or will she crack at the pressure? Written to connect with Patches, the Volturi Pet by CityCat
1. A Dumb Mistake

**Ruined: Carly's Story**

Being human means making mistakes, ranging from childish to life changing. The childish ones tend to bother us when we are young. Whether it's messing up on a spelling test or breaking a plate, they make us feel guilty. These are the mistakes that we tend to stay with and never forget. These mistakes are okay; there's absolutely nothing significant about them. They're as small as a speck of dust. What we don't understand is that there are much worse mistakes to make. Much worse.

**Carly's POV**

I gently adjusted the bud in my ear to make the sound play more clearly. It rewarded me with a nice tune as I sat up; each note rang out sweetly in my ear. A smile escaped my mouth as I lazily sat up. A flight to California was about three hours, yet it felt as if I had slept for almost seven like a bear in hibernation. It was a good thing because I usually got around three hours of sleep. I brushed my smooth brown hair out of my face, letting it fall in waves down my back.

I shivered as the glossy strands brush my bare back. My choice of clothing probably hadn't been the wisest choice for a plane. The smooth material of my baby blue dress went down to my knees, slightly flaring out. I pulled out my phone using the camera as a mirror to make sure I was presentable for David when the plane landed.

David was my stepdad, while most people didn't like their stepparents; I loved mine almost as dearly as my first parents. He adopted me when I was ten when he found me all alone on the streets. I wasn't afraid of people, but I was as cautious as cat. I didn't trust what people told me.

Mascara was lightly smeared under my eyes from being closed. I softly rubbed my index finger against the black as I brushed them together to make the color of smoke. I absently wiped it off on my bare arm making patterns that looked intricate.

I looked back at the screen brushing my hand against my lightly tanned skin. I had been working on my tan for a while specifically for this trip so that I didn't look out of place. Looking out of place was uncomfortable for me. I had promised to teach a dance class on the day David booked a flight for us both so he changed mine to a later time. The class had gone longer than expected, so I nearly sped to the airport like a maniac. I had been lucky enough to make the flight with the time I had.

This was luckily a very small stress. I had many other responsibilities and they were hard to handle.

The one thing I didn't have to worry about was school. While most normal sixteen year olds spent half their days in school, I spent most of my time dancing and training. I graduated from high school last year. I wasn't a smart kid; I was home schooled and got school out of the way. I needed to do it so I that could pursue dance. Being a dancer had been my dream ever since I could remember. I never questioned it and I never fought it. I was lucky enough to be considered a prodigy in the art. Hard work was something that always paid off. Dance was something that also helped me to escape the constant nightmares I had at nighttime. Sometimes if I tired myself out enough, I never dreamed. It was simple: no energy equals no dreams.

I paused as I thought about the nightmares. It brought me back to the one event that traumatized me. The only reason I was afraid of sleep.

_Flashback_

_The young child sat on the cool floor holding her new, soft pink pointe shoes. They were the one good thing that had happened to her this week. She was excited to be starting pointe; it was something new and challenging. She poked the hard shank to feel how firmly it would hold up her feet as she was rewarded with a rigid feel. She placed them back in bag then used her small thin fingers to pluck the pins out of her bun like plucking pins out of a pin cushion. Her head snapped up at the soft creak of a floor board. She gave a small smile with her rose pink lips as bright teal eyes looked back at her matching eyes. _

_"Daddy!" she squealed as she gave a puma jump into his big arms. She cuddled her head into his chest, "Did you see my shoes Daddy? Did you see my shoes?"_

_He chuckled in a deep exhausted tone, "Of course I did sweetheart. You showed me them like five times." He swung her softly smiling as a giggle burst from her mouth. _

_She looked straight at his eyes again as she enjoyed this one moment of peace. She cringed as a scream of completely agony flowed down the hall. Her expression became completely serious as she asked another question, "Daddy, when is Andrew going to get better? I want to play with him again." Andrew had been in this condition for the past two days, screaming and moaning nonstop._

_ The day it started seemed like a normal day. The girl was the only witness. She told her dad about the shadow that looked human, but he didn't believe her. He thought it was just a wild animal attack because of the bite mark that looked like a crescent moon._

_"I don't know Carly," he said with a sigh, "I don't know." _

_She frowned then cuddled into his chest again, "I hope he gets better soon," she said in a comforting voice. Her dad nodded with a sluggish pace._

_She sighed as it became silent again, but her father began to frown. His eyebrows creased with a worried expression as her mother rushed out of Andrew's room with a panicked, almost hopeless look in her blue eyes. "August, he… he stopped breathing. He… he's not breathing." She spoke with a complete mourning tone. Her voice shook in pain as she tried to hold back tears._

_Her dad lightly placed her back on her feet as he reached out to grasp his wife's hand, "Carly, I want you to stay right here. Okay, honey?" he said as he bent down to his daughter's eye level. She nodded as a crystal clear tear slid down her cheek, "Mommy?" she asked softly as she looked up. _

_"It's going to be okay," her mother said in a gentle voice, "I promise everything will be alright." She stroked her daughter's soft head as she gave her a reassuring smile. More tears slid down Carly's face as she nodded at her mother. She knew what "not breathing" meant. Not breathing meant dead. Andrew was dead. Her lips trembled as she obediently sat down in a chair like a dog to await their return. _

_She began to sniffle as they disappeared out of sight. Her parents were already sad when Andrew became sick; she couldn't imagine how different they would act if Andrew was dead. She wiped the wet droplets off her cheek to stare at them in her palm. A shocked expression came on her face as the pain became reality _

_She froze as she heard a high pitched scream, more importantly, her mom's scream. She shot up like a bullet as she bolted to the room, "Mommy!" She yelled, "Daddy!" her expression became horrified as she heard a loud thud, "No!" she shrieked as more tears flew out of her eyes. _

_She reached the doorway just in time to see a dismaying image. Her brother held her mother's limp body by her neck as if she weighed nothing. He sank his teeth into it as he began to drink quickly. Carly gaped in complete horror as he dropped her drained body. Her curls flew out as her head rolled to look at her daughter. "Mommy?" she whispered in agony. The eyes were completely lifeless and glazed over, almost doll like._

_Andrew turned around as he heard her pained voice. He looked at her with eyes that sent chills down her back. The bloody color was terrifying, but that wasn't what scared her. It was the hungry, animalistic look she could see. She could tell he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. _

_She took a step back as terror began to take over her body. She moved slowly with shaky steps, wobbling as she tripped backwards. She pushed herself up and let out a scream as Andrew walked to her with a slow, relaxed pace. She held her hand like a shield in front of her as a last defense. She waited for the pain to come as she squeezed her eyes tightly. _

_The pain came in her hands instead. She cried out looking up as she saw flames shooting out of her hands. They licked everything in front of her cleaning them into ashes. She hit her hands on the ground in a panic as she tried to put the fire out. She gasped as she roughly rubbed the sparks until smoke was left. She placed her shaky hand in front of her face to stare at the angry red stinging marks. _

_The pain of that compared nothing to the other pain she had in her heart. She could hear it beat in her head as she glanced back at her parent's bodies. A choked sob burst out as she crawled over to lie down between the corpses. She curled up as complete exhaustion began to overcome her. Her mother's words echoed in her head as she fell unconscious, "It's going to be okay, I promise everything will be alright." But it wasn't, everything wasn't alright. _

**Carly's POV**

I felt a hand on my shoulder as a flight attendant shook me back to focus, "Excuse me ma'am? Would you like a brochure?" she asked with a polite tone.

"Yes, thank you," I said as I flashed my teeth at her quickly. She smiled as she placed the brochure in my lap. "We land in five minutes," she added as she moved to the next passenger. I flipped open the smooth paper as I began to look at it. "No, Italy…that can't be right," I murmured to myself. I turned the pages quickly. "No, no," I whispered. I swallowed as I looked out the windows feeling a gentle bump as the plane pulled down to the terminal.

"Oh God, this can't be happening." I placed my head in my hands, "David's going to kill me." I quickly stood up as the plane came to a stop so I could get a signal. My phone was out within five seconds flat. I dialed David's number as I rushed ruthlessly out the airport pulling my backpack up my shoulder. I rushed down a street not paying attention.

I kept my eyes focused on the numbers as I held the phone to my ear. I wondered how I would explain this to David; this was a very insane situation. Something like this never happened. I couldn't understand it like I couldn't understand a foreign language. It was simply impossible for a brain like mine.

"Oof!" I cried out as I bumped into a woman. She turned to face me looking at me with a very lovely face, almost too lovely. I froze as I noticed her eyes; they weren't red, but they had the same hungry look I still remembered. "Hello, are you here for the tour of the Volterra castle?" she asked in a seductive voice. I shook my head as terror leaked into my eyes. "N-no thank you," I said quickly as I backed away. I bolted in the opposite direction.

"Carly?" a voice drifted from the phone on the ground. "Carly, where are you?"

**Heidi's POV**

I kept my eyes on the strange girl as she ran away from me. That was strange. Usually humans never said no to me, but this was a different situation—she was different. I knew it the first second I looked into her eyes. She knew. She knew about us. Humans weren't allowed to know, yet somehow she did. She had to be reported; humans like this were a danger to our kind. They were almost explosive like a bomb, she would eventually explode with the information she knew. Humans couldn't be kept quiet.

I leaned over to Caius keeping my eyes on her. "That girl over there, she knows," I said with a quick voice. "Do you want me to go capture her?"

He shook his head. "No. Stay here and try to gather more people for our meal. I'll capture her." He grinned at me quickly with a malevolent look as he headed in the girl's direction. I looked back one last time at his black cloak before I turned around as I secretly smiled at a man approaching me.

**Carly's POV**

I felt my feet pounding on the ground as I ran at full speed. I wasn't stopping until I was sure everything was safe. I gasped with every breath as my legs burned in protest. I began to feel alone as I realized there was nobody to be seen around my area. I finally stopped turning around in a full circle as I felt an uneasy feeling in my chest, pricking me keeping me unsettled. I knew it couldn't be over this quick. With monsters like that it never was.

My feeling was soon confirmed as a cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere. It walked to me with a slow calm pace. It was beautiful, yet terrifying, much like creatures at the bottom of the ocean. They were beautiful because of lights and glamour they used, but those things only masked the truth underneath. They were predators that attracted fish with distractions until it was too late.

It pulled off its cloak to reveal a man's face. He had very pale blond hair with almost transparent skin to match. His eyes had a slightly different look. They were red like all normal monsters, yet instead of hunger, it was a genuine evil look, there was nothing good about it. He looked at me quickly, studying my every breath.

"You're one of them," I said with a gasping breath. "A monster." I backed away only for him to match my pace.

"Actually, the correct term would be vampire, but yes, I am a monster," he said with a grin. He suddenly sped forward in impossible speed shoving me against a wall. "Tell me, who told you about us?"

"Nobody told me about you, I just found out by an unfortunate situation," I choked out as pain shot up my back. He smirked as he let me go backing away, "That is not very helpful information, but sadly I can tell you are not going to budge." He was right I was as stubborn as a splinter that refuses to come out of your skin. I would rather die than help him.

"Oh, I'm supposed to know all this stuff?" I snapped back in an annoyed tone. I held up my hands shrugging, "Sorry, I'm not some kind of genius."

He looked at me with an amused expression. "No, you are not," He paused, pacing around me. He calculated my every move waiting for me to take action like prey normally would, "Well, I see no other use for you. I guess I will have to kill you now." He began to lunge forward.

I held out my hands feeling the familiar burning sensation that came when I was in danger. The flames shot out ready to burn anything in sight. The vampire seemed to dodge them as a new expression came into his face. I cried out unable to handle the pain anymore as I rubbed my hands against the dirt to douse the flames. I held them up, gasping in pain as exhaustion began to take me over.

My legs slid out from under me as they refused to function. He stood over me. "Well, well, look who proved themselves useful," he said with a smug tone. I let out a moan as black covered my eyes.


	2. The Truth

**Narrator's POV**

Caius entered the castle with the young girl unconscious in his arms. He had left the castle with intentions of bringing back their next meal, but instead what he had found was rare. Humans usually never showed signs of gift due to their mortality. It simply wasn't possible because their bodies were as weak as sticks. One hard push and they snapped, but this human was different. Her mind and body had worked together to give her control over one thing that destroyed our kind.

However, her control seemed to be limited. Her body still showed signs of damage from the flames, she wasn't fire proof and mentally she couldn't handle it. Her body soaked up all available energy to make the flames out of thin air, in a way it was a mutation that would make most people fear her if she used it differently. This girl was a weapon, a weapon that would be a thousand times stronger with immortality.

Felix came strolling casually down the hall. He walked up to Caius with a lifted brow, "Did a meal try to escape?" he asked as he noticed no signs of panic.

"Not exactly," Caius answered, "More a meal that has proven itself worthy not to die." A gasping breath escaped Carly's mouth as her eyes lazily opened. She glanced back and forth at the two vampires, while she felt fear deep inside, she masked it as she spoke, "I'm not an it, I'm a she," she answered with a cracking yet caustic voice.

Felix chuckled as the girl spoke. "Did you have a nice nap?" he asked in a confident tone. Carly rolled her teal eyes to give him a piercing glare. "Shut up," she replied as her hand went up to her head to caress the throbbing pain she could feel.

While he was surprised, Caius kept an unimpressed gaze. While most humans would have automatically screamed, this one seemed to use sarcasm. "Take her to a cell; nobody is to harm her unless it is required for discipline. Don't feed her or talk to her, we'll use isolation to break her in," He handed the girl to Felix.

Carly let out a dark and bitter laugh, "What are you? My mother?" she said.

Caius let out a furious growl, "You are not allowed to speak to me like that. Do not think I won't kill you."

"Then go ahead and kill me. Go ahead and torture me," Carly answered as her voice became more confident, "Trust me, there are worst things then death and pain."

Caius gripped her throat as he pulled her face to look at him, "I said, you are not allowed to speak like that to me." Carly let out a pant as she tried to breath. Caius grasped tight enough for her air to cut off as Carly's eyes rolled back.

Caius nodded to Felix as he headed off to the throne room to discuss his new weapon with his brothers.

**Carly's POV**

I woke up to darkness and a hard floor. It was very clean for a cell, polished and smooth as if they wanted their prisoners to feel welcome. Yet strange at the same time because a prison wasn't supposed to look like this.

I reached out my hands until I felt a smooth plastic shape, grasping it quickly as I held it up to my face. I could hear a sloshing sound as my hands shook with fatigue. They had left me with some kind of liquid, yet I was afraid to try it. I didn't know if it was water or some type of poison and I wasn't taking chances.

I let out a shuddering breath as I realized one thing; I was utterly and completely alone. There was absolutely no one here to comfort me, promise me that being alone was okay. It was one of my only fears; while it was irrational to some people it made perfect sense to me. When you're alone anything can happen, you have no control or help at all. Everyone was afraid of being alone; most didn't acknowledge it like I did.

I bit my lip to keep a sob from coming out, I couldn't show them I was afraid. I had to stay calm and trick them, make them believe I didn't care at all.

The person I want most with me was David; he was the only person I truly loved. Yes, I had friends, but it wasn't the same thing. Friends weren't there to make you feel safe; they were there to make you enjoy brief moments of life. David was a guardian he protected me and he sheltered me. That was something an acquaintance couldn't offer.

It was funny because while David was my parent, I couldn't bring myself to call him dad. He never asked me to so I felt bad about it, but calling him dad felt like replacing my real dad and I couldn't do that. I wiped a tear off quickly as I heard quiet steps approaching my cell.

I backed up until my hands touched a rough brick wall. I used it to stand up by sliding along it, a few treads from my dress caught on the bricks, but I didn't care it wasn't important.

My eyes stayed glued to the door as it slowly creaked open with no sound. I held my breath in anticipation, waiting for someone to appear. Stinging pain in my hand distracted me as it continued to remind me I could attack this creature right now and end this. But I knew one rash decision could end in my own death.

I stood still, with an unwavering expression as a man appeared by the door. He wore a black suit which was a sharp contrast to his ancient white skin. His black hair looked very smooth and graceful, it intrigued me, but I didn't want to touch it. All I could do was stare at his cloudy red eyes, they were so mesmerizing to look at, but I was easily snapped back to reality as he reached for my hand.

I pulled back with swiftness as my eyes glanced at the floor. "Don't touch me," I mumbled. I stroked the floor wishing it was dirty so I had something to do. I needed a distraction to keep my temper from getting out of hand.

"Look at me child," he said in a soothing voice. I could feel his eyes glued to me, curious as they tried to understand my purpose.

"Why?" I asked with a soft voice. "Why should I?"

I could hear a light, amused chuckle. "Caius is right, you are stubborn."

I closed my eyes letting out an exasperated sigh, "A trait that can help you survive if you use it correctly, or kill you if you go too far." I dug my fingers into my leg as I finally looked up at him again out of curiosity.

"That's a wise thing to say for a girl as beautiful as you are," he commented as he seemed to be trying to win my trust. I wasn't convinced, I would never be convinced.

I narrowed my eyes as I opened my mouth to speak again, "I'm not smart, I have experience." I balled my hands in fists as I begun to feel a familiar heat in the center, I had to control it.

His voice became gentle, "You seem insecure, is this careless attitude a way to mask a scared creature underneath?" He bent down to my level keeping his eyes straight in my position. "You don't have to hide it, I know how you feel." He paused for effect. "I've seen it all."

"I'm not hiding anything," I answered calmly, "As far as I'm concerned, you're all idiots."

He kept a still composure as he decided to try a different approach, "You know, the plane you were on was meant to go to California." I gritted my teeth together as I felt rage flow through me.

"My guard specifically chose that flight for our meal, you just happened to be on it." He pointed out coldly. A tear began to slide down my cheek as I closed my eyes, I stayed completely still, unsure how to answer him as I shook my head wanting him to leave me.

Instead, I felt his hand under my chin as he steadied it to keep it from moving. He lifted my head up in a position as if he was studying my face, his coolness seemed there to soothe me, yet it had the opposite effect. I glared at him as his eyes closed in soft concentration. "Get out," I whispered as my voice shook with resentment.

He ignored me as he continued to focus on something that I couldn't see or hear. I ripped my head out of his hand as I stood up, "Get out!" I yelled as I let my emotions take control. He couldn't take back what he said to me, letting me live without knowing would have been better than informing me. My body stayed in a rigged position as I waited for the isolation that I was afraid of, yet I wanted it so bad at this moment.

I waited until I heard the clicked of the door locking in in place before I slid down to the floor letting out a sob. Everything that had happened was their fault, it was never mine. I didn't make any mistakes, they did. I paused as something popped into my head I hadn't thought of yet, where was my phone? I began to pat my dress, searching.

**Aro's POV**

I heard soft sobs as I exited the cell and entered the hallways. This girl's thoughts were almost hysterical; anger seemed to override many of them. I could tell that she used this tactic to hide her fear. She was a strange one, like so many extraordinary talents are.

Her name was Carly Smith, and she was born in a peaceful Colorado town. Many of her thoughts on the surface involved the art of dance—it was all she did most days. However, it was a cover, a shield for her memories that boiled underneath.

Her brother had been turned into a vampire when she was six, which caused her to lose both her parents. This was her first vampire memory, and unfortunately for her, it wasn't the last.

I placed a relaxed hand on the doors giving them a quick shove as I entered the throne room. My brothers sat on their thrones, waiting for my assessment. Caius looked up with an impatient expression. He was free to choose who he wanted in the Guard, but I made the thorough evaluations of who came in.

"What do you think?" Caius asked as he stood up ready for an answer. I made a motion for him to sit down as I eased into my chair.

"You've made a very interesting choice for a guard…did you know that she hates you?" I inquired with an amused tone. "In fact, she hates all of us, every vampire in existence if such a thing is possible." I chuckled at the idea of it. It made sense of course, for prey to hate their hunter.

"That can't be possible. How long has she known about the secret of our existence?" Caius asked.

"Long enough for a strong hatred to set in, at the young age of six. This, in my opinion, is far too early for a human to find out," I said softly, voicing my train of thought.

Caius set his jaw tightly as he paused considering what I had said. "Did you find out who told her about us?" he asked, clearly in the mood for punishments.

"That vampire has been dead for years, Brother. She beat you to it," I answered quickly. "There's nothing left to kill."

"How could she have done that?" Caius said as his voice became more interested. He looked at me with an imploring, nay, _demanding_ gaze.

"She had a…chance encounter, and she acted on revenge because that vampire turned her younger brother. She was very injured from the fight, but she managed to do it," I explained.

Caius growled, "A human killing a vampire?" he shook his head then dropped the subject.

I nodded then gave my final assessment, "Overall, if turned she would be a very strong asset to our coven. She's already physically fit for a human and her gift shows promising if turned. However, she would be very hard to control, and she most likely won't listen to you or pay you an inkling of respect."

Caius grinded his teeth as he heard the last part. "Then I'll need to find her weakness, something that will make her obey no matter what."

I thought for a second then smiled, "She seems to love her stepfather quite a bit."


	3. A Kind Visitor

Carly's POV

"My phone! Where's my phone?" I said to myself as I patted the silky dress. I rolled my teeth together in stress as I tried to think this situation through. I could have sworn I had it before I entered this castle, yet it was nowhere to be seen. The only way it would have been lost was if I had dropped it, or if they took it off me while I was unconscious. I gave myself a few more pats before I found it hopeless. I took a shuddering breath as tears began to pool up in my eyes.

I looked at the water bottle, shaking my head as I lifted it up carefully. I still didn't know if it was water or poison, but at this point, death would be a merciful thing.

I placed it lightly on my lips, taking a small sip to taste the refreshing feel of water on my tongue. Afterwards, it took all my self-control to take another small sip before setting it down. I sat still, trying to clear my head as I stared at the water bottle. They hadn't given me much water; it was only filled up halfway.

A little cloud appeared above the rim, letting tiny drops fill up the bottle. I first blinked my eyes in disbelief as I jumped back; a gasp escaped my mouth as I spoke. "Who's there?" I asked with a shaky voice.

I swallowed quickly to clear my voice. "Who's there?" I asked again with a confident tone. "Show yourself!"

I heard soft steps above me, but I decided to keep my gaze down for an element of surprise. "I can kill you!" I said as my anger seemed to take control again. "I've killed two of your kind before, and I'll do it again!" I threatened as my voice cracked again. The footsteps slowly retreated into silence leaving me at peace again as I sat back down.

If that was another vampire, that was a strange, yet kind thing for it to do. I was still suspicious. If that was another tactic to earn my trust, then I wanted nothing to do with this water; but if it was a random kind act, then I appreciated it.

From what I knew, all vampires acted the same. They were selfish and only cared for blood. Blood was a way for them to live, yet it bothered me that they used us humans as food. The manner we were used by them would suggest they thought of us as trash—something that could easily be discarded. I didn't understand it at all. They looked like us, they talked like us, but they weren't human. It was something almost impossible made possible.

The soft steps started again, each one careful and cautious. I lifted my head up slightly, staring at the heavy door as they paused in suspense. I placed my hands on the floor, ready to spring up at any chance I got. My heartbeat quickened in anticipation as I waited for the walker to reveal itself.

Instead, I was disappointed by the sound of something sliding under the door. I bit my tongue to keep back my exaggerated breath as I reached out my hand for the object. I felt the familiar feel of a paper plate and tilted my head in wonder. The vampire who had taken me told others not to feed me. Maybe it was poison: the result of a decision that said I was not needed.

I lifted up a small note on the top reading, "It's not poison. Enjoy!" So, not poison… "Of course not," I sighed heavily. "You'd want me to suffer slowly." I took a bite tasting peanut butter spread across my tongue. It brought back memories of David making peanut butter cookies at home. It was a memory that I should have smiled at, but instead frowned as it was something I couldn't have right now. I took robotic bites, unsure of what to do.

"Y-You don't like it?" A soft, yet kind male voice inquired, finally speaking up. I rubbed my lips together then looked up at its source, pretending I could see whoever it was.

"No, it's good," I said, my voice nearly cracking with sadness. "I just want to go home." I thought about my house back in New York; it wasn't a mansion, but it was welcoming and warm. It truly felt like home.

"What's your name?" he asked with a quiet and curious voice. I pressed my lips together to keep a smile from coming out. It felt nice to have someone to talk to; this vampire seemed truthfully interested in me.

"I'm Carly. And you?" I asked in my kindest voice. There was a pause, as if he forgot who he was. As if he didn't know what a name was.

"N-No one important," he answered, making another sigh escape my mouth.

"If you're not important, then why can't I know your name?" I askedsoftly. Everyone was important; it was just altered by their confidence. If you're a proud person, you think you are very important, whereas opposed to a humble person who might not feel the same way.

"I'm c-called Patches," the voice said near to a whisper. I felt my lips move up in a smile. Patches…such an odd name, yet cute at the same time. "I-I live here… a-and maybe you will too," he added with a hopeful tone. I felt anger fill me as I heard that. I wasn't meant to be here. It was all a mistake!

I stood up without much thought as I pointed at Patches' direction, revealing that I knew where he was. An intense heat filled my palms as flames shot out violently. "I'm not living here!" I yelled. "I'm going to get out of this place, and then I'm going home!"

Reality hit me the next second as sharp pains replaced the heat. I bit my lip as I rolled my hands on the ground to put out any signs of fire. I began to bend over, but my body nearly let out as it ached from using too much energy. I took the water, pouring it all over my hands to be sure as its cooling effects gave me relief. My breath quickened as if I was having a panic attack, but I knew that was not the case. I placed my head against the cold ground, closing my eyes to rest. "I'm sorry, Patches," I whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear it.

Caius's POV

I lifted my head as Chelsea entered the room. Her red eyes flickered around, curious as she wondered why she had been called. "You need me, Master?" she asked carefully.

"Did you get a look at the girl I brought in this morning?" I questioned.

"Yes I did, the thin brunette girl. I've heard she has a gift that's very promising," Chelsea answered with a questioning tone still in her voice.

"Is it possible to break her bonds so that she would be more open to commands?" I asked quickly. I wanted to hurry up the process before anyone changed their mind. Passing up an opportunity like this would be wasteful.

"I looked at it and I tried, but it didn't work." Chelsea said. I paused, assessing it in my head as I looked for other ways.

"Are you sure there isn't a weak point you can tweak?" I questioned hopefully.

"I already told you Caius, I can't break bonds as strong as hers," Chelsea explained with an exhausted tone. "She's very attached to her stepfather, so it's a family bond. The only way to break it would be to kill him." I paced my room, impatient about creating my new weapon. I never understood families. In my opinion, they got in the way of more important things that needed to be done.

There was no possible way to track this man that was Carly's stepfather. I could always have her lead the Guard to him, but it was an option she most likely wouldn't cooperate with. The starvation had done nothing to change her mind. In fact, it made her more set in her ways of being stubborn.

"Perhaps you should try something more mental—something to break her mind, not her body?" Chelsea suggested as she was out of ideas.

I nodded rapidly to agree with her. "The only problem is we don't know what we can do to hurt her. With no connection to her stepfather, we have nothing useful."

Carly's POV

I held the small note in my hand reading Patches's words over and over again. It was my only way of saying sorry to him for my earlier behavior. He seeded like such a fragile vampire, something I had never seen in my experience with those creatures. It was comforting to know one of them could act with true compassion.

I realized I was only acting out of paranoia. I was afraid of what they were going to do to me because their plans were unknown. Would they kill me? Let me go free? Turn me? The only good one was freeing me, which was impossible.

The door crept open for the first time that day. I stared at the big fellow, recognizing him as the vampire who had greeted Caius when he brought me in. He smelled the air with a suspicious expression, giving me a studying look.

"You know, Caius's idea of isolation sure involves a lot of visitors. You're the second one I've seen today, and from what I've seen so far, I enjoyed the visit before this." I said with a judging tone. At least Patches didn't treat me like a prisoner.

He didn't answer me, only acknowledging my words with a stifled growl. His eyes searched around my cell for proof of who this visitor was. I couldn't help but smirk at his expression. He seemed too frustrated to come up with anything.

"What's your name?" I asked casually to keep the conversation from being more awkward than it already was. He quickly looked at me, speaking in a voice that didn't match his body position.

"My name's Felix." He began to walk around me, searching every single corner and crack. "What did this visitor do?" Felix asked with a stiff voice. He seemed to be more furious with each second. "Caius ordered no one to visit you, so they must be punished for disobeying his words."

I tightened my lips at the mention of punishment. I didn't see anything wrong with Patches's intents. He didn't deserve to be harmed in any way. "Nothing you need to know. It's not bad at all. In fact, it's better than the way anyone else has been treating me here. You guys should be following his example."

"Look, I know you're stubborn, but now is not the time to be playing around. This is business, and it's meant to be taken seriously," Felix said, changing his voice to a cool, calm tone.

"And I don't understand what the big problem is!" I yelled, waving the slip of paper up in the air. "He did nothing wrong!"

Felix smiled, slipping the paper out of my fingers. He held it up to his nose, taking a sniff of the writer's scent. His eyes closed in deep concentration. I froze, realizing that I had blown Patches's cover. Now he was going to get it for sure. "Patches. I knew it," he murmured happily with his proof.

"No, don't do it." I let heat rush to my hand as I reached for the paper to destroy it; I couldn't let an innocent suffer. Instead, my hand made contact with his wrist, making him let out a growl of pain as the flame caught his skin. He shoved me back down quickly, brushing out the fire with the paper completely undamaged.

He let out one scoff before exiting the room to leave me alone. All I could feel was guilt for what happened. I didn't want Patches to be harmed for doing something as little as feeding me; it seemed ridiculous to do such a thing. After all, food wasn't a big deal considering the fact that they didn't have to consume it at all. I wished I could go out and save him, but sadly I was locked in. There was no escape.

I brushed my hand through my hair, pausing as I pulled out a pretty, thin blue pin. Unless... I quickly placed my head against the door, cautious for any sound to warn me now wasn't a good time. I placed the end of the pin into the lock, wiggling it to feel for any giveaway. It rewarded me with a quiet click as I silently pushed the door open.

My heart nearly burst with excitement as I silently took a step outside. I quickly looked side to side as I evaluated my next move. I needed a distraction big enough to escape outside.


End file.
